On the battlefield, the neutralization of UXOs, land mines and IEDs tend to fall into a gray area between the overlapping capabilities of combat engineers and explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) teams. One common strategy is to identify threats, mark them, move around them, and subsequently neutralize them. Neutralization strategies range from destroying the threat with explosives, destroying it with another munition, burning it, or physically disarming it.
Neutralizing the device using another explosive or munition generally results in a high order/high explosive effect. This process requires many considerations. For example, if the UXO is in a highly populated or public place, the detonation of the UXO can cause harm to people and personel as well as damaging the surrounding buildings and infrastructures. In these cases, neutralization of the UXO requires very specialized equipment and highly trained individuals. Many times, neutralization requires the specialized personnel to closely interact with the UXO or LED and puts them at considerable risk. However, in a battle field environment, these personel and techniques may not be readily available. Therefore there is a need for a simple solution to neutralize UXOs and IEDs that does not require highly specialized equipment and training.
Physically disarming a UXO or IED is sometimes required, but it requires extremely intimate interaction with the device and highly specialized equipment and personel. In the battle field, IEDs have become much more complex using remote triggering devices, as well as conventional triggering devices. Thus, it is possible that an IED can be detonated by the enemy while it is being disarmed. This greatly enhances the risk to personel. Hence, there is a need to minimize intimate personel contact with the UXO and IED when neutralizing it.
A method to minimize the potential damage while neutralizing a UXO or IED is to use non-explosive neutralization methods, such as those developed at the U.S. Army Communications Electronics Command. These methods include propellants, thermites and pyrotechnics and are designed to neutralize the device by deflagration (also referred to as burning or combustion) instead of detonation of the mine's main charge. Known non-explosive technologies for clearing mines and UXOs are (a) bullet with chemical capsule (BCC); bullet carrying chemical; reactive mine clearance (REMIC and REMIC-II); thermites; Mine Incinerator; Pyrotechnic Torch, and Humanitarian Demining Flare ( manufactured by Thiokol).
Four of the more common systems are briefly described herein. The first two methods were developed under the Department of Defense Humanitarian Demining R&D Program; the third method was developed by the United Kingdom's Defense Establishment Research Agency (DERA); and the fourth method was developed under the direction of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC).
The Humanitarian Demining Flare neutralizes mines by quickly burning through the casing and igniting the explosive fill without detonation. [See D. L. Patel, J. J. Regnier and S. P. Burke, “Humanitarian Demining Flare against Cluster Munitions and Hard Cased Landmines,” U.S. Army CECOM, Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate, 2002] The flare is made from surplus solid rocket propellant manufactured by Thiokol for the Space Shuttle Program. The flare is positioned next to the mine or IED such that the low-thrust flame with an average temperature in excess of 3500° F. (2260° K) can burn through the mine's casing. The burn time of the flare can be controlled by altering the diameter and length of the flare. Typically, the flare is remotely actuated. A present embodiment of the Thiokol Flare is 5 inches long, one inch in diameter and burns for approximately 70 seconds.
Two other similar devices to the Humanitarian Demining Flare are the Mine Incinerator (MI) and the FireAnt. [See D. L. Patel, “Can Currently Developed Deflagration Systems Neutralize Hard Case Mines?”, UXO/Countermine Forum Conference Proceedings, Apr. 9-12, 2001, New Orleans, USA; A. J. Tulis, J. L. Austing and D. L. Patel, “Rocket-Concept Pyrotechnic-Propellant Torch for the Non-Detonative Neutralization of Mines and UXO,” Technologies of Mine Countermeasures, Mar. 27-29, 2001, Sydney, Australia] The MI is based on a self-propagating solid-state reaction (conventional thermite). This device is also positioned within close proximity of the mine such that its liquid reaction products with a temperature up to 4000° K can burn through the mine's casing and burn the explosive material. The FireAnt is a pyrotechnic device designed to burn the explosives contained within a mine's casing. It contains a composition of aluminum, barium nitrate, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). It contains about 80 gm of composition sealed in a 23.7 cm long, 3.9 cm diameter cardboard cylinder. An electrical match is inserted in the pyrotechnic mixture at the bottom of the cylinder and then it is placed above the UXO. A battery or a demolition device ignites the electrical match. The mixture burns at 1830° K for around 23-24 seconds.
While these methods overcome the issues associated with the exploding the UXO and they are relatively simple, they still require personnel to intimately interact with the UXO. Hence, there is still a need for a simple and safe method to neutralize the UXOs.
One method that has addressed the issue associated with the intimate contact with the UXO is the Zeus-Humvee laser ordnance neutralization system (HLONS) developed under the direction of the U.S. Army SMDC. [S. R Gourley, “Zeus-Humvee Laser Ordnance Neutralization System,” Army Magazine 54, December 2004] This method represents the first high-power laser weapon system to successfully engage and neutralize unexploded ordnance (UXO). The system integrates an up-armored Humvee with a solid-state laser that has an effective stand-off engagement range of up to 300 meters against UXO and surface-laid land mines. The laser neutralizes or negates the ordnance by focusing energy on the outer casing of the target, heating the munition until it is destroyed by internal combustion. The combustion created by the laser produces low-level detonations rather than activating the explosive power designed into land mines and UXOs. This system is quite complex, is expensive and still requires specially trained personnel to operate the equipment.
Hence, while the current state of the art each address certain aspects of the issues associated with neutralizing a UXO or IED, there is still a need for a simple, inexpensive and safe method for neutralizing explosive devices, particularly IEDs, and UXOs.